Calibrachoa plant named ‘Kakegawa S65’

ABSTRACT

‘Kakegawa S65’ is a new variety of  Calibrachoa  plant. This new variety has white petal lobes and dark green foliage.

Genus/species: Calibrachoa species.

Varietal denomination: ‘Kakegawa S65’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Kakegawa S65’ originated from a hybridization made in November 1998 in Kakegawa, Japan. The female parent was a Calibrachoa ‘Kakegawa S24’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,039). The male parent was a Calibrachoa breeding line with a deep rose colored flowers and mounding habit and short internode length known as 97-1176 (not patented).

In February 1999, F₁ seed from this cross was sown and later transplanted outdoors in Kakegawa, Japan. The F₁ plants ranged from semi-creeping to erect in habit and all had rose flower color. Five, single-plant selections were made from the F₁ generation based on their rose color and intercrossed to create an F₂ generation. In August 1999, seed from F₂ generation was sown and later transplanted outdoors. F₂ plants were either rose or white in flower color and either mounding or extra compact in habit. Two, single-plant selections were made from the F₂ generation based on their white flower color and extra compact habit. In August 2002, the two selections were evaluated in 9 cm hanging pots in a greenhouse as well as in an open field. One of the selections was chosen based on trial results.

The selection was further evaluated from new vegetative plants in Salinas, Calif. during 2003. The selection was subsequently named ‘Kakegawa S65’. ‘Kakegawa S65’ was asexually reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif. and was determined to reproduce true to type in successive generations of asexual propagation.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPH

This new Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanying photograph which shows blooms and foliage of the plant in full color. The colors shown being are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up view of flowers.

FIG. 2 shows the entire plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE GENUS CALIBRACHOA LLAVE & LEX

The genus Petunia was originally established in 1803 by A. L. Jussieu, who described both P. parviflora and P. nyctaginiflora as type species. Using a non-horticultural system that selected the first mentioned species as the type species (lectotype), N. L. Britton and H. A. Brown declared P. parviflora as the type species for Petunia in 1913.

During the 1980's and 1990, H. J. Wijsman published a series of articles regarding the ancestry of P. hybrida, the Garden Petunia, and the inter-relationship of several species classified as Petunia. These studies discovered that P. hybrida and its ancestral species, P. nyctaginiflora (=P. axillaris) and P. violacea (=P. integrifolia), possessed 14 pairs of chromosomes while several other species, including P. parviflora, possessed 18 pairs of chromosomes. Since P. parviflora was the lectotype species for the Petunia genus, Wijsman and J. H. de Jong proposed transferring the 14 chromosome species to the genus Stimoryne. Horticulturists opposed reclassifying the Garden Petunia and in 1986, Wijsman proposed the alternative of making P. nyctaginiflora the lectotype species for Petunia and transferring the 18 chromosome species to another genus. The I. N. G. Committee adopted this proposal. By 1990, Wijsman had transferred several species, including P. parviflora (=C. parviflora) to Calibrachoa, originally established by Llave and Lexarza in 1825. Calibrachoa parviflora (=C. mexicana Llave & Lexarza) is now the type species for the genus Calibrachoa.

Classification of the current Petunia and Calibrachoa species is still in progress. New species are also being identified. Consequently, a proper description has not been written for the Calibrachoa genus. Calibrachoa can, however, be distinguished from Petunia based on the higher chromosome number, chromosome morphology, plant branching habit and type of flower bud aestivation. Whereas Petunia species bear a flower peduncle and one new stem from a node, Calibrachoa bear a flower peduncle and three stems. Petunia species have a cochlear corolla bud, a single outermost petal covers the other four, radially folded and terminally contorted petals. Calibrachoa flower buds are flat with all five petals linearly folded and the two lower petals forming a cover around the three other petals and fused together.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR PLANT GROWTH

The terminal 1.0 to 1.5 inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The vegetative cuttings were propagated in five to six weeks. The base of the cuttings were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of DIP 'N GROW (1 DIP 'N GROW: 9 water) root-inducing solution immediately prior to sticking into the cells trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic cell trays having 98 cells and containing a moistened peat moss-based growing medium. The cuttings were misled with water from overhead for 10 seconds every 30 minutes until sufficient roots were formed.

Rooted cuttings were transplanted and grown in 20.0 cm diameter plastic pots in a glass greenhouse located in Salinas, Calif. Pots contained a peat moss-based growing medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium was applied once a day or every other day by overhead irrigation. Pots were top-dressed with a dry, slow release fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 18% potassium. The typical average air temperature was 24° C.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW PLANT

Data below collected on plants four months from rooted cutting and transplanted into 20.0 cm diameter pots. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S). The following traits and characteristics describe the new variety.

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.         -   Species.—Calibrachoa sp.         -   Common names.—Calibrachoa. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Calibrachoa ‘Kakegawa S24’ (U.S. Plant Pat.             No. 13,039).         -   Male parent.—Breeding line 97-1176 (not patented). -   Growth:     -   -   Habit.—Decumbent.         -   Height.—13.0-15.0 cm.         -   Spread.—40.0-45.0 cm for one plant when grown in a 20.0 cm             diameter pot.         -   Life cycle.—Perennial.         -   Form.—Branching, dense, compact (shorter internode lengths).         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—6 weeks.         -   Time to bloom from propagation.—10 weeks.         -   Flowering requirements.—Will flower so long as day length is             longer than 12 hours and temperatures exceed 13° C.         -   Resistance/susceptibility.—Excellent resistance to rain,             heat and drought. Will not tolerate temperature below 10° C.             Plants are susceptible to Botrytis, powdery mildew, various             stem and root rots and certain viruses, like Tobacco Mosaic             Virus and Impatiens Necrotic Spotted Virus. Plants can be             infested with aphids, leafminer, whitefly and various             Lepidoptera. -   Stems:     -   -   Stem color.—RHS 144B (yellow-green).         -   Anthocyanin color.—RHS N77A (purple).         -   Pubescence.—Heavy.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS N155A (white).         -   Stem description.—Round.         -   Stem length.—1.5 cm-2.0 cm.         -   Stem diameter.—2.0-2.2 mm.         -   Internode length.—1.0-1.5 cm. -   Leaves:     -   -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Leaf shape.—Elliptical.         -   Leaf tip.—Mucronate.         -   Leaf base.—Decurrent.         -   Leaf margin.—Entire.         -   Leaf surface.—Rough, dull.         -   Leaf length.—2.0-2.2 cm.         -   Leaf width.—0.5-0.8 cm.         -   Leaf color.—Upper: RHS 137A (green); lower: RHS 138B             (green).         -   Leaf surface pubescence.—Slight.         -   Leaf surface pubescence color.—RHS N155B (white).         -   Petiole length.—2.0 mm.         -   Petiole color.—RHS 138B (green).         -   Venation.—Pinnate. -   Flowers:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary.         -   Flowering habit.—Indeterminate.         -   Duration of flower life.—5 days.         -   Shape.—The flowers are funnel shaped with five fissures.         -   Flower depth.—2.0 cm-2.2 cm.         -   Floral tube length.—0.8 cm-1.0 cm.         -   Floral tube diameter.—0.4 cm-0.5 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—2.0-2.3 cm.         -   Calyx.—5 sepals, free.         -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Sepal apex.—Mucronate.         -   Sepal margin.—Entire.         -   Sepal color.—RHS 143A (green).         -   Bud shape.—Ovate.         -   Bud length.—1.8 cm-2.0 cm.         -   Bud diameter.—0.3 cm-0.5 cm.         -   Bud surface.—Pubescent.         -   Bud color.—RHS 149C (yellow-green).         -   Peduncle length.—1.8-2.1 cm.         -   Peduncle color.—RHS 144C (yellow-green).         -   Ovary.—Superior.         -   Pistil number.—1.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 150C (yellow).         -   Style color. —RHS 149B (yellow-green).         -   Corolla.—5 petals, fused.         -   Petal shape.—Spatulate.         -   Petal apex.—Retuse.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal pubescence.—Glabrous.         -   Petal size.—1.0-1.1 cm×1.0-1.1 cm.         -   Petal color.—Lobes, upper: RHS 155C (white) with RHS N155A             (white) midvein fading into RHS 149D (yellow-green) with RHS             8B (yellow) as the base; lower RHS N155A (white); Corolla             tube: inner RHS 8B (yellow) with RHS 149D (yellow-green)             veins; outer RHS 8B (yellow) with RHS 149D (yellow-green)             veins.         -   Stamen number.—5, free.         -   Stamen color.—RHS 150C (yellow-green).         -   Pollen color.—RHS 8B (yellow).         -   Fragrance.—Absent.         -   Seed production.—None.

COMPARISON WITH MOST SIMILAR VARIETY

‘Kakegawa S65’ is a distinct variety of Calibrachoa owing to its short internode lengths, which lead to a compact growth habit and pure white petal lobe veins. ‘Kakegawa S65’ is most similar to the variety ‘Kakegawa S24’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,039); however, there are differences as shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 ‘Kakegawa S65’ ‘Kakegawa S24’ Internode 0.5-1.0 cm 1.5-2.0 cm Length Petal Color Upper surface is pure white Upper surface is pure Upper with RHS 8B (yellow) as the white with RHS 154C base and veins with a color (yellow-green) as mid- of RHS N155A (white). veins and RHS 154B Corrolla throat is RHS 8B (yellow-green) as corolla (yellow). tube. Corolla throat is pure white.

Some differences between ‘Kakegawa S65’ and its parental lines are shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Female Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S65’ Male (97-1176) (‘Kakegawa S24’) Petal Color RHS 155C Deep Rose White with RHS Upper (white) 154C (yellow-green) as midveins Habit Decumbent Mounding Decumbent Internode 0.5-1.0 cm 0.5-1.0 cm 1.5-2.0 cm Length 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant as shown and described herein. 